Flipkart launches F-Assured to take on Amazon Prime

Under the programme, goods will undergo a six level quality check and the company aims to offer a large part deliveries to be done within two to four daysTNN | Updated: August 20, 2016, 11:26 IST

Image credit: FlipkartFlipkart today announced it has launched Flipkart Assured (F-Assured) a few weeks after its arch rival Amazon introduced its popular subscription service Prime here.

Under the programme, goods will undergo a six level quality check and the company aims to offer a large part deliveries to be done within two to four days. Amazon Prime offers free delivery of large number of goods on same day or the next day for Indian consumers.

According to the company a majority of Flipkart's products across categories including fashion, mobiles, electronics, home and appliances will carry the 'Flipkart Assured' badge.

F-Assured is essentially an updated version of its earlier programme named Flipkart Advantage. In a recent interview to TOI, company CEO Binny Bansal had said that the company was focusing more on net promoter score and other metrics which focus primarily on improving the consumer experience rather than chasing metric such as gross merchandise volume (GMV).

F-Assured will be run on the back of select sellers for Flipkart including WS Retail. In total, the Bengaluru-based e-commerce major has 85,000 sellers on its platform.

F-Assured will be available on all platforms - desktop, app as well as Flipkart lite. The company recently revamped its website and app to enhance user experience.

Valued at $15 billion, Flipkart, commands the highest market share of the local e-commerce market but is facing fierce competition from Amazon which is investing heavily in India and aiming for the pole position here. Amazon recently announced an additional $3 billion commitment for India taking its total investments $5 billion.

To combat Amazon, Flipkart increased its dominance in online fashion market by acquiring Jabong for $70 million last month. Fashion currently registers about $1.5 billion in GMV or gross merchandise value for the e-tailer which has struggled to grow its overall GMV having stagnated at a $4 billion run rate in the past year.